Norberto was Latino and about 18-years-old. Gazing down at the floor whenever he spoke, the shy man responded softly to questions in broken English. Whether Jerry’s find was legally or illegally here was irrelevant to us because we were eager do-gooders wanting to serve God. Norberto typified the angelic destitute person that every liberal supporter of illegal immigration dreams of saving. For overly enthusiastic young believers like Jerry and myself, we were more than happy to prove our commitment to Christ by clothing, housing, and feeding a street person.
And so, Norberto spent a week sleeping on the floor on an air mattress in our living room. Jerry gave him his coat; we fed him and sat him in the front row at church. When Norberto was home, he insisted on watching the movie Jesus of Nazareth, which, as ministers of the Gospel, we considered a divine sign from above that God ordained the encounter. Yet as spiritually fulfilling a happenstance ministering to Norberto, aka José, turned out to be, with two small children, it wasn’t feasible for the vagabond to siesta indefinitely on our floor.
Thankfully, a Jesuit priest we knew had connections at a ministry in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx called My Brother’s Place. Run by a Pallottine Order of priests, the 12-bed shelter accommodated homeless men and agreed to give Norberto a bed and place him in a job at a trucking firm in New York’s Garment District. Feeling comfortable with that option, Jerry gathered up our poverty-stricken disciple, packed him into our 1972 Chevy Malibu, and chauffeured him to the Bronx. (Read more.)
From Townhall:
An illegal alien with potential gang ties on Wednesday killed Corporal Ronil Singh in California. News of Corporal Singh's death made national media attention and people across the country mourned the death of a police officer. One of the most disgusting things though? There was only one legislator from California – House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy – who mentioned Singh's death. Everyone else remained absolutely silent about the tragedy. (Read more.)Share
2 comments:
Americans see someone looking down and not making eye contact as "shy" and polite.
But in the more Indios/traditional cultures of Central America and the highlands of Colombia (where my two adopted sons were born) it just means you don't make eye contact with a superior, while keeping your feelings concealed (especially angry feelings)
Thank you, Nancy, that is interesting.
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